Swedish-based, Somali singer Cherrie Hersi premieres the Stockholm-shot music video for her gripping, socially-conscious single "Tabanja."

In June, we featured Swedish-based, Somali songstress Cherrie Hersi's first single "Intro" on our list of Songs By Somali Singers & Rappers To Listen To This Summer. The singer, who grew up in Finland and began her singing career just two-and-a-half years ago, is now back with the premiere of the music video for her latest single. "Tabanja," which is a Swedish slang word for 'gun,' is a song which the singer's camp says "shows a suffocating truth of a world caught in a downward spiral." Cherrie's ethereal voice lends itself seamlessly to the track's bass-heavy production as the song's notably poignant message is unexpectedly wrapped in a beat fitting for a house party or club. "It invites you to dance, it forces up hands in jubilation, but it also tells an important story of the city's periphery, the hard choice that people face daily when reality penetrates." The black-and-white visuals were shot in the Rinkeby neighborhood of Stockholm where Cherrie currently lives and features performances from some of the singer's closest friends. The three-and-a-half-minute music video carries the song's weighty message by presenting chilling imagery of death and ruin, all while maintaining "a tiny ray of hope." Watch the gripping visuals for Cherrie's "Tabanja" below.

The legendary South African writer on storytelling, losing Bra Hugh Masekela and his hopes for South Africa

Zakes Mda, endearingly referred to as Bra Zakes, is a South African literary giant. He is the exemplar "jack of all trades, master of all"—a professional 'dabbler' as he refers to it. An accomplished novelist, playwright, poet and painter, he has written close to two dozen novels thus far, including the beloved Little Suns, Ways of Dying and The Heart of Redness. He is extremely hilarious as an individual and never afraid to speak his glorious mind. Case in point:

"Some random guy claims he has lost all respect for me because I hold a different view from his on a specific issue. I'm trying hard to recall what his respect has done for me lately or ever did."